Australia's economy - how do you rate it?

By Bridget Rollason

Away from the polls, analysts and headlines, ordinary Victorians are talking about their views of the state of Australia's economy. Hear people from across regional Victoria and their city counterparts talking about how the economy affects them.

Opinion is divided over the health of our economy. Have we never had it so good? Or have things never been so bad?

While economists discuss historically low interest rates and unemployment figures and what life might be like in a post mining boom economy, ordinary Victorians have their own perceptions about our nation's wealth and whether we're doing well or not.

This week ABC cross media reporters took to the streets across Victoria to learn how people view the state of our economy - how do local people measure it? How do people feel the economy stands at a local level? And what do people want to hear discussed about the economy during this year's election?

What's your view of how the economy is running in your area? Is the reality worse, or not as bad as it is being reported?

"It's perhaps a little bit worse, than people think. We aren't travelling as well as we would have expected in this stage of our lives, my family is finding it a real struggle."

"The economy seems to be in a very strong position, certainly when you look at the international statistics it looks great."

"It's worse than what is being reported, there's obviously a lot more pressure on small businesses, to the extent it would actually discourage people from starting up small businesses."

"I think it's okay. There are stacks of people around the streets."

"It's probably something we are not getting an accurate picture of sometimes. The information is often lost and people tend not to listen."

"The economy is good. To me, when I look at it, it is much better than where I came from [in Fiji]."

"I'm uneasy about how the economy is running at the moment because of the uncertainty, particularly as the cost of living expenses are so high."

How do you gauge the health of the economy?

"It would appear that because there is not high unemployment and the interest rate is low, the economy is as good as it probably has been in the last 20 years."

"I take note of the job advertisement rates and the closure of large businesses like Ford."

"In comparison to places like Surfers Paradise with a huge amount of empty shop fronts and vacant apartments, then I think we aren't doing too badly."

"It's important to have a global view of the economy. We have to make sure we maintain a lot of the industries we have, particularly the fruit growers in the Goulburn valley because it does have an impact on a lot of people."

What about the economy do you want to hear discussed in this year's election?

"Policies that will promote employment and policies that concern people who have fallen off the wagon. We need to think about how to get these sorts of people back on the employment wagon."

"It would be good to get the politician's speaking in a language that people can understand coming up to the election. It's time to simplify the language they use, but still get across the message that we need to have growth and GDP."

"Employment is a huge issue to be looked at because there are so many unemployed. A lot of people may be working, but many are only on casual hours."

"There's too much emphasis on the economy, there are a lot more important issues that could get a look in as much as the economy come election time, that don't."

"You see young people and unemployed people struggling even with their benefits. Don't just give them money and say go do stuff, actually encourage them to get on with their life."

"I'd like to see the [intake of] migrants down a bit. I don't think we should have thousands of them coming out here because it is cutting our own people out of a job eventually."

What's the best way a politician could find out about how the economy is affecting the people in your local area?

"Just look around the town at all the empty parks, not so long ago you wouldn't be able to get a park, but you can now, anytime of day."

"Have a look at the amount of shopfronts that are empty, that doesn't give much hope."